Preserving the Past with Giving Tuesday

Tuesday, November 29, 2016, is designated as “Giving Tuesday,” and the Friends of the Rising Sun Inn ask the Anne Arundel County community to consider the Friends, a historical preservation organization, when making charitable donations. The Friends of the Rising Sun Inn is a non-profit, 501(c)3 charitable organization established to provide funding for the preservation, restoration, repair, maintenance, and operation of the Rising Sun Inn and property as an historical site and museum. We also provide the community with educational, architectural, and historical programming. The Friends is an all-volunteer organization depending on private funding through fundraising events, memberships, and donations.

The Rising Sun Inn, built circa 1753 by Edward Baldwin, is a rare example of a Pre-Revolutionary, planter’s home located at 1090 Generals Highway in Crownsville, Maryland. As farmhouse and tavern, the Rising Sun Inn, known first as Baldwin’s Tavern and later as the Rising Sun Tavern, has witnessed Anne Arundel County history since the 18^th century, not only as a tavern, but also as a stage coach stop, a post office, community meeting place, even a tax collector’s stop. In 1916, the old Inn was donated to the Ann Arundel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to be maintained as an historical site and museum. By the time of the donation, the Inn was dilapidated having been vacant for several years and being used for grain storage. The early restoration work took several years to complete and was focused on stabilizing the building to prevent further ruin. Through the 1930’s and 1940’s, the Chapter began the work of fulfilling the Inn’s mission as a museum, and in 1949, the Chapter formally dedicated the Inn as a museum. Today, the Inn is both a showcase for 18^th century architecture and a museum of Early American History with a collection that includes artifacts from the latter half 18^th century and first half of the 19^th century. The Rising Sun Inn is listed with the National Registry of Historic Places. In addition to being open to the public on the second Sunday for each month guided tours, the Friends of the Rising Sun Inn hosts various public events throughout the year.

For more information about the Rising Sun Inn or the Friends organization, please visit our website at http://www.friendsoftherisingsuninn.org or on Facebook at Friends of the Rising Sun Inn, Crownsville, MD. To make the Friends of the Rising Sun Inn your Giving Tuesday organization and make a donation to continue the ongoing preservation and restoration efforts, go to PayPal and send to friendsofrisingsuninn@gmail.com.